


Ruler of Nothing (Evillious AU Story)

by Phantom_Platonic



Series: Ruler of Nothing Series [1]
Category: Evillious Chronicles
Genre: Eve Big Suffers, Evillious AU, F/M, Gen, Original Sin Arc, Project Ma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-01-06 19:59:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 20,414
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18395330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantom_Platonic/pseuds/Phantom_Platonic
Summary: This is a story of the beginning. Though this beginning is changed from the way it should be. Shall we open the storybook and see where the changes lie? It all starts in a little village known as Nemu. That is where we find Eve Zvezda. A woman with remarkable magic, and the woman who will become queen. But at what cost?





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Please be aware that there are mentions of drug use and brainwashing that I am not sure could be mentioned at the front of this fic. This, at first will start as my own retelling of the events in Project MA, since not a lot is known on these events, but it will run into AU territory by the middle at least, so please look forward to this. Either way, I hope you enjoy!! Also note, that I do not condone the actions of Adam in this fic, because he's,,, a meanie bad man. I am only writing them to illustrate the points that were set up by MOTHY

This is a story of the beginning

From where should I tell?

My name, no my real name, is Eve Zvezda

And now, I am the ruler of this country. 

I saved the country with the birth of the Twins of God

But really, was it worth what I've done to myself?


	2. Life in Nemu

Eve stared up toward the ceiling of her room as she awoke. She knew that she had to get ready to work today, since that was what she did every day, but at the moment, she didn't feel like getting up. All she wanted to do was think for a bit. And well, maybe test something whilst she laid there. 

For only a moment, she sat up, checking around the room for any noises that weren't coming from her or the bed. Once she figured that the coast was clear, she laid back down and closed her eyes, clenching her hand into a fist before opening it up fully. A few moments passed, before her fingertips crackled with an energy moving around them, bolts moving from finger to finger until a field was created around it. Lightning magic. Something that she'd been trying to make stronger again ever since it had been sealed away from her the first time. It was coming back, and she was ecstatic. She had to keep quiet about it. No one in the house could know that the sealing magic used on her was incomplete.

No, she didn't want to hurt anyone with this magic of her's. She didn't have plans of using it at all unless it was necessary. But the day that she had her magic sealed away, she felt as though she had lost a fundamental part of herself. It wasn't right for her to be without magic. What no one had known before, was that the spell hadn't completely neutralized the magic she had. She still kept her ability to use the Swap Technique, even if she didn't have much reason to use it. The rest of it had merely lay dormant inside her, instead of vanishing for good. The knowledge of this made her feel better. To know that she could reawaken her true power, along with her true self. Maybe then she could use what she knew for the good of her village, and for the good of Levianta. 

"Eve! Wake up, we need to get to the clinic!" A voice just outside her bedroom exclaimed. That voice belonged to no one other than her elder brother Abraham, who she sighed at the sound of. She didn't have anything against his wake up call, she knew that she had to get moving soon, or who knows what her parents would do.

Their work was important too. No matter if there was trouble in the village or not, people got sick no matter what anyone did. So, there were people around such as Eve's aging parents to help. They possessed magic as well, but it wasn't as strong, and had a healing basis rather than a destructive basis like Eve's magic. This was why they ran the clinic in the first place, because they had a knack for helping people. Yet, they were getting much to old to handle all of those patients by themselves, which was where the three siblings came in. While they weren't all skilled healers as their parents were, though Abraham was developing magic similar to their parents, they were all adults (or at least almost there, seeing as Eve was only seventeen), so it was only natural that they do some work, and help out. 

"Alright, alright, I'm almost ready, wait for me!" she replied, as she finally moved out of bed, and picked out something to wear for the day. A simple dress would do, she thought. So she slipped one on, fixed up her hair a tad, and rushed down the stairs, to see the young man waiting for her. A sigh of relief escaped her. Oh, she never knew if she could navigate the village on her own. It was small, sure, but she always found herself getting lost in the dumbest of places. So she liked having Abraham or Noah around to make sure she didn't lose her way.

"Looks like you're ready then. Sleeping Beauty can finally grace the clinic with her presence." While he earned a small laugh from his sister, not much else was said about it as the two of them finally left their home, and moved on to where they would be working for the day. Albeit, the clinic was small, but so was their village. It was strange that Eve could get so lost in it, but she still did. Maybe she just had a bad sense of direction, or maybe it was something else. It was something she tended to worry about, even if it wasn't as important as the other things in her life, such as her work, and the magic she was working to fully obtain once more. So her mind never dwelled on it for long. 

Soon enough, the two of them reached the building, the Nemu Clinic. Eve was the first to go in, as Abraham sauntered in behind her. The girl looked around quickly once she made it inside, to try and find her mother and her father so they could tell her where she needed to go, and her assignment for today. Surely enough, she saw her mother waiting for her, sitting right at the counter, giving that signature look she had on her face whenever her daughter came late. Eve had never liked that look, but it was usually well earned, due to her patterns of sleeping and staying in late. So of course, at the sight of it, the girl immediately became apologetic. "Sorry I was late mother, I overslept again," she said, as the woman just shook her head.

"As always, it's alright dear. You'll be in the room nearest to the lobby so I can check on you easily, okay?" That was met with a simple nod, and a mental curse from the girl, as she made her way down to the close room. The patient in there was nice, sure, but having her mother near meant that she had less of a chance to try her hypnosis on the patients. Not to make them do anything bad, she just wanted them to have a better time sleeping, or to take the medicine that they were supposed to without complaint. It tasted bad, or at least she'd heard so, but it was good for them. It would make them better from whatever ailment they had. 

Making it to that room, she greeted her patient, a old woman, with a severe illness. Neither Eve, nor the woman knew how much time she had left, but it wasn't right to discuss it her. It was their job to make her better, not to gossip. Of course, that was how her mother worded it, but she liked to take it to heart. She needed to be focused on her work.

The woman waved a weak hand in Eve's direction, as the girl went up to her, thinking over all of the things she needed to do. First of all, she had to give her the medicine itself, which was supposed to be spoonfed to anyone taking it. While Eve didn't like this task all that much, especially since she needed magic for it to go smoothly. It was truly a process that she needn't go through every morning. But since she wanted to help, all of this was necessary. 

Yet, it seemed that even when this was an every day job, the woman had no idea what Eve was about to do, which was obvious by her confused look, and next words. "Well... It is nice to see you dear, but what might you be coming in here for?" 

"Don't you know? It's morning time again, so you have to take your medicine."

"Ohhh, oh no no no... It tastes so bad... Can't we do that later?" 

Eve huffed in response, keeping quiet and channeling her energy in until she knew that she had enough energy for a small hypnosis. So she would take the medicine, and like the taste of it too. "I insist that you do. I mean, maybe it tastes better than you thought it did."

And, well, like the magic it was, the woman nodded slowly. "Alright, let me have some then, since you're being so nice about it," she replied. And while Eve when she was nice, she was also quite stubborn, so of course this had to be the result of her magic. At least she hoped it was. Eve didn't take much time in giving the medicine to her, just in case it was to wear off quickly. She never knew how well these things could work. 

"Okay then... Next, I'll go get you some food. I'll be back!" Eve called, before rushing out of the room, and hoping nothing would go wrong as she was out. She was almost certain that things would turn out fine, but it wasn't like she was always sure. What, with her unstable condition... No, she wouldn't think about it, she would just go get the breakfast her patient needed, and then go back. 

At least, until she heard what was going on near the front, as she passed by it. 

"Look, we're just saying that we want to speak with her, nothing more."

"No, you won't be taking our daughter away. Her magic was sealed, just like the law said. There is nothing that she, or anyone here has done wrong!"

Eve's heart jumped in her chest as she heard those words. That was her mother, she knew that well enough. But what did they want with her? She didn't know, and honestly? Merely thinking about it made her feel sick to her stomach. Even so, the two outside of her sight range continued to converse. It was less conversing, and more of an argument. And while the girl was afraid to step out, she didn't want things to go poorly for her mother. So instead, she took a breath, trying to steel what little courage she had, and peeked into the room, looking at the two of them. The man at the front seemed new to her. He wasn't of this village, so then what was his purpose here? 

"Mother? Who is this, and what are you talking about?" Eve stammered, with her eyes darting between the two of them in stark confusion. 

Both the stranger and Eve's mother looked at her, going silent for a good while, before that man had spoken up once more.

"I take it that you are Eve Zvezda? Congratulations, you have been chosen as the candidate for Project MA."


	3. Adam

The room was silent for a while after the stranger had spoke. What was he talking about? She hadn't signed up for any sort of project like that. And what did it even entail? Oh, this was so confusing, but it made her curious, for one reason or another. What if this was something important, and what if this could be something she could do to help people? Sure, she already worked to do the same thing, but now she'd really be good at helping, and it may even be on a bigger scale. Her face had soon come out into a smile that could've been quite infectious if it weren't for the mood of the room. Or, more specifically, of her mother. There was a good look of scorn for this whole idea on her face. Obviously, she didn't like it at all, especially since her knowledge of it was only slight. 

"What do you mean? I never signed my daughter up for any sort of project!" she protested, which immediately made the man rather annoyed with her. 

"People did not sign themselves up for it. They were sought out as people with a high magical potential and each considered. Your daughter was considered as the best, and-"

"What? We sealed her magic away years ago, there isn't any such potential in her, it was too dangerous."

"The sealing of magic doesn't take away the potential of it. She had enough of it in her body that she could give birth to the twins of god, and save our country from ruin. Wouldn't you want your child to do something that would save all of Levianta?"

This statement took both Eve and her mother back. This project would make her a savior to all of Levianta? Though, she never thought she would be giving birth at an age as young as this, it didn't block out her immense joy at the moment. Her mother could only show her shock in the situation though. She went agape, which confused both her child, and the man standing at the door. Not a word came from her, which finally gave Eve the courage to speak on the matter, which she'd been unable to do while these two were arguing. 

"I... I want to help everyone in this country, but I don't know if I can do it... are you sure you really have the right person?" Eve asked, quirking an eyebrow at him. While it was true that her powers were great at one point, she was still only getting them back. She wasn't even an adult yet, so would she even be ready enough to have these children? Would she be prepared? "Plus I... I don't think my magic is all that great in the first place- There must be some sort of mistaa-" 

The man put his lip to her mouth, shushing her, which caused her cheeks to flush red for a quick moment. It was quick to calm though, as she knew that she shouldn't be doing anything with these older men. But his position did seem firm, that she was the one who was supposed to save the country. "I'm sure that you're the one we seek, but then again, if you're so unsure... Maybe, I could stay in this village for a while, in order to monitor you, and get an idea on how your magic works. If all seems well, then you can come with me, yes?"

His words had to have been convincing, or at least reassuring, because Eve's mother nodded as the proposition was brought up. "I guess, if it really is for the good of the country, I can't refuse... You can stay in an unoccupied hospital room as you stay in this village," she replied. He smiled at her, as the seventeen year old soon found a thought coming to her head. She didn't even know this man's name, and she would be seeing him all the time for a while? Now, that had to be rectified in some way. 

"Oh, oh! Sir, I don't even know your name... What's your name?" she asked, barely able to get her words across because of how mystified she was by him. 

"My name is Adam Moonlit, miss. I'll collect my things, and come back here once I've finished. I'll look forward to getting to know you as well, Eve, as you will be our future queen soon."

As Adam left the clinic, Eve stood there, in a shell shocked silence. It was hard to understand, or believe that she could possibly have magic strong enough to save everyone from the Catastrophe that would happen, if the Dragon gods were not reborn. A whole lot rode on this moment, so why was she the one picked? For now, she would chalk it down to a mistake. A fluke in the system, that was all. There was no way that she, the clumsy girl who's magic was put away for good, and who didn't even know how to navigate the village she lived in. She wasn't any good to be queen, or to save anyone. The thoughts like those scrambled through her mind, as she leaned on a table to make sure that she didn't fall down or faint as it was. Only the words of her mother were able to pull her out of the daze she'd thrown herself into.

"Eve... I think that you should go home, and think this over for a while. I don't want you to do anything you'd regret, so please rest up a bit. And if you can't find the house again, a walk would do well for you anyway."

Now that? Was confusing. Her mother usually wanted her to work no matter what. Unless she was sick of course, but that wasn't the point. Did she really think that Eve was cut out for this project? Or did she look worried for some other reason? Eve couldn't tell, and she didn't even know if she wanted to understand what was going on. All she knew was that she needed some time to think, and looking after patients wouldn't help her to do that. Some time with the sun, and to maybe see how her magical development was going could do it better. So, she didn't argue with her mother's verdict, and waved to the woman as she stepped outside of the clinic, and into the light of day. But, before she could find any peace, she noticed Adam coming up again, with a case in his hands, probably with a bunch of clothes, and other things he would need. 

"Ah, hello again, Eve," he greeted, looking as cheerful as ever, even though Eve wasn't quite in the mood to talk. It wasn't obvious, since she didn't look angry at him for approaching her, but she still felt it a bit. Though, she could only hope that the conversation between them would be short, just so she could have her time to think on things, without having Adam around to make things even more confusing. 

"Hello, Adam. Is there something you need? Because my mother said to hurry home and rest, and I don't want to disobey her-" she replied, before she felt something get put into her left hand, probably by Adam himself, since no one else was around to do that for her. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that it was a small bottle of liquid, though she hadn't seen this before. Was it medicine, or something else entirely?

"Well, that's something I needed to give you. It's a medicine that will help draw out the potential power you have, so I can further see if you're truly the one we're looking for. You should take five milliliters of it every night after you eat dinner, and be discreet about it, alright? You don't want to scare your parents, right? Oh, and know that it will make you dizzy at times, so there is reasoning for that feeling."

She gave the man a nod in response, even though she was very unsure of this plan, and in herself. Would she really be able to hide this from her parents for that long. And, she had to think of Abraham as well, who was quite clever, and knew her better than most did. Yet, she felt that she had to trust him. He was putting his trust in her, so why couldn't she find it in herself to do the same?

"If you understand, then I should be going. I'm not sure how much longer I can hold this, and you seem to be busy with your thoughts. I'll be seeing you tomorrow." And then, he left Eve by herself, and the teenager couldn't be sure if she liked the thought of it or not. She didn't like the idea of being left alone in her thoughts, or taking what could be a drug under her parents' noses. And yet, she would have to, in order to make things better. So, she would swallow her fear, and make it through the rest of the day, and the days to come. 

But as she walked, maybe it would have been a good idea for her to check the bottle's label. Or, at least withholding her trust for someone she'd only met fifteen minutes ago. After all, both that bottle, and that man, could be holding secrets...


	4. Getaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A false proclamation of love, sickening, but sweet.

Ever since Adam had prescribed the medicine to her, Eve began feeling strange in her everyday life. Sometimes, she even felt as though her spirit had been expelled from her body altogether. She could never feel in tune with the world, or herself these days. It was odd, but Eve supposed that it was only a side effect of the medicine, or something similar to that. But there was something else off about how she perceived things, which came in the form of a sudden infatuation with Adam.

Her heart would skip a beat every time the two of them held a conversation, even if it was over the most trivial of things. She wanted to see him more, yet he didn't visit her as much as she would like. She wasn't allowed to leave home more, due to the effects she had been showing. Her parents believed she was sick, but Eve knew better. Of course, she understood that her spiritual distance would make her less of an asset to the clinic this way, so she let her parents believe there was something wrong, in order to keep herself out of trouble. Yet, she wished that her lovesick thirsts could be quenched someday soon.

Of course, things weren't all that bad. As the house was usually empty, since her parents and brothers were still at work, as Eve could still take care of herself on her own, she had more time to be ambitious with her practice of magic, although it took a lot more out of her than she would like to admit. Yet, it came with a perk to her magic capabilities, as they had been amplified. She had made it past the small crackles in her fingertips from weeks ago, to enveloping her entire hand in the spark of her magic. It was so invigorating, and even then, she had trouble with her focus, which led her to many mishaps, all of which were easily covered up, to her relief.

Yet days, or even weeks could have passed by in the blink of an eye, with all these thoughts as she'd kept to herself, left alone in her own home. The only time she wasn't alone was when her family arrived home from their work. Even then, during those times, she only saw them during dinner, as she was confined to her room at any other time when people were in the house. She'd never figured out why, but that was mostly since she never thought about it. Most days, she was much to tired and out of it to think of any logical reason. But today, this was a subject to change.

One night, as Noah called her down for dinner, a dinner which Eve figured would be a silent one on her part as always. She has always been quiet around dinner, even before she began taking the medicine. But now, there was rarely a moment found where she was speaking. Though, something tells me that this dinner was going to be something different.

As her eyes had been closed and unfocused as she made her way to the dinner table, she sat herself down before she opened her eyes, to find herself staring at the one man she had been thinking about for weeks. It was Adam... Her prayers had finally been answered tonight, hadn't they? Her face flushed a bright red when his eyes met with her own. They locked that way for a while, as the rest of the dinner table didn't seem to react. They probably just thought she was a silly girl, and they would be right in that assumption. But, hoping that no one would say anything about her mistake, her eyes soon averted from his, although her embarrassment was still clear to anyone watching. But, there were still questions that came to mind from this blessing bestowed upon her. What was he doing here? And why did her parents look so grave? What was going on..?

"Well, now that she's down here, what did you want to say to us?" Eve's mother asked, with a look of concern etched onto her face. Only her husband seemed to realize it, as Adam was much too focused on his own goals to try and comfort anyone else, Eve's sense of reading a situation was impaired, which was most likely another side effect of her medicine, and the boys were trying their best to exit the situation without paying attention. It was much too tense for them, and if you were in the room, you would be able to tell.

"As you may have been able to guess, this meeting has to do with the project," Adam began, with Eve listening to every word intently, hooked on to every sound, as if his voice were laced with ecstacy. "I believe that Eve is ready to come to the capital with me, and become mother to the Twin Gods." A grin appeared on the teenager's face when she heard the news. Finally, she would be able to make her difference to the people she cared for, and become queen as she had been told of weeks and weeks ago. Yet, her parents didn't seem to be so happy on the subject.

"No, she isn't ready yet. She's much too sick from... S-Something that has plagued her. She is in no shape to be going to the capital, please, just wait a bit longer," At first, Eve's father's voice was almost angry, but it soon changed to desperation. He cared about his daughter greatly, although she didn't seem to realize this. All she wanted was to go with her love, and you could tell this from how much she needed to restrain herself from saying anything rash to her parents. 

"I assure you, she is ready. From what you've told me of her condition, she will be okay. This is no illness, but merely side effects from a medicine I've given her to-"

"So this is your fault?!"

"No... No, this was only meant to prepare her. This will not effect her in the long run, I promise."

"But she hasn't been herself in weeks, and you're to blame. You've ruined my daughter! Get out of here, now!"

"But-"

"No! No more of this fancy project, none of it! You can go back and find someone else to take part in your silly game."

Now, all of these words had brought the listening girl to the brink. She couldn't take anymore of this fighting, especially when it involved the one she loved. So, she exploded. Not literally, of course, but the way she said what she did may have warranted one to happen. 

"BUT FATHER, I LOVE HIM!" She cried out, causing the entire room to fall silent. Even Adam didn't believe he heard her correctly, and this was an outcome he had been hoping for ever since the two of them had met. No one knew how to respond for a while, as people tried to figure out what had been said, and the impact it carried.

It wasn't until her mother spoke that the silence was broken, an icy chill hanging in the air when she began to speak, and the words coming from her not making things much better. "Well, then the only thing you can do is get over yourself."

Eve looked to Adam for some kind of comeback from that, some way that could tell her that he wouldn't leave. But, it never came. "Fine, I suppose if this is the resolution you've come to, then I can't change your minds. I apologise, Eve, but this is where I will have to say goodbye..."

With a few tears already streaming from her eyes, and before Adam could leave, or anyone else could say a word, Eve ran to her room, completely heartbroken from her encounter tonight. It was strange, how this man she'd only seen a handful of times could evoke such a display of emotion in her. It wasn't as if her mind rested on that though. She didn't care how off it was, she loved him. But now, she would never be able to see him again. She ran into a safe place in her room so she could cry about all she'd lost tonight. Her first love, a wonderful opportunity, an ability to see the sights. All of it, gone in an instant, and out of her control. At least, that was how it appeared to her. She continued in her worse until she fell asleep, her wet face buried into a pillow. 

The night marched on uneventfully. We've had fallen into a dark and dreamless sleep, with her face leaving stains on the pillow she once cried on. She wouldn't have cared about it anyway. At some point during the night, Abraham had come in to check on her, and make sure she hadn't done anything reckless. Though, she was already asleep by the time he got there, so there wasn't a lot that he could say or do, so he left her to her own devices. And yet, in the middle of the night, Eve was roused by a quiet, but frequent tapping on her window pane. Of course, she didn't want to answer in her current mood, as she was still torn up by the events from earlier. Though she went to the pane anyway, her eyes widening once she laid eye on what waited for her there.

It was him. It was Adam. He had come back for her, and her heart leaped out of her chest with joy. Of course, she couldn't quite figure out why he had come back, but she didn't care. All she needed to know was that he was here, and maybe that this wouldn't be the last time she would be seeing him. The trivial things, such as knowing why or how someone was tapping on your windowsill in the middle of the night didn't matter at all. She was still curious though, because even if she didn't care, maybe there would be a nice story behind it. And at any rate, he was up quite late in the night. Now, why would that be? "A-Adam-!" It's so nice to see you again. What are you doing up so late..?"

"I'm here to take you away from this place... I'm not going to give up on you, so come on, take my hand. We can make it to the capital silently by morning, at least if we make good time," he replied, his hand stretched out to Eve, as she began to ponder her choices. 

Parts of her conscious mind wanted to agree with her parents, and say no. After all, those drugs she was being given made her quite loopy, so maybe they did have a point. Maybe this wasn't the right path for her to take. And yet, she couldn't care less about what might be right for her. In reality, it was Adam who knew what was best. After all, he was a scientist, he should know! So, she expelled those intrusive thoughts from her mind, as she quietly grabbed his outstretched hand, and let him guide her out the window, and on the solid ground below. Thankfully, her room was on the bottom floor, so she didn't need to worry about falling here. Keeping the girl's hand in tow, he continued to lead her onward to Levianta, which thankfully didn't lay far from Nemu itself. Yet, there was so much they still spoke about on their way. 

At first, their discussion was about what would happen once the two of them arrived at the magic kingdom, although most of this laid on Adam to continue, since Eve didn't have a clue as to where it was, or what it looked like outside of the stories her parents would tell her about the place. All the girl did was nod in understanding, even if she truly didn't understand a word he said through their journey. She just liked to hear him talk. 

But after a while, he brought up a new idea, something important. Something that Eve would have no trouble understanding, and responding to. "So... Eve. Do you love me?"

"Of course I do! You herd what I said there with my family. I love you. I love you so much, and I don't care who knows it!"

"I'm glad... I've felt the same ever since I met you."

"Really?!"

"Definitely. But I want to prove it to you as well. So... I think that we should get married, once the Twins of God are born. What do you say?"

The girl was brought great joy at those words. She nodded vigorously at his proposition. Though she knew she was rather young for it, she didn't care. It would be a world away, or so she thought. At least nine months, such a long time, she could hardly bear it. But she wanted a dependable father for the children she would birth, and she loved this man too. It would be decided, they would be married. She couldn't possibly wait.

Even if his declarations were false, sweet words to keep her under his control.


	5. The Capital City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam and Eve take a tour of the city, before Eve meets someone that brings her a fear she's never felt before

Eve couldn't believe her eyes as the entered the capital city of Levianta. Though she had seen many places and cities along the way, it all paled in comparison to this place. Even in the break of dawn, the lights shone with such a power that could captivate her. Even if she couldn't help but feel tired, even if she should probably take some sort of rest, the city in itself was enough to keep her awake, and even energetic, as her newly curious mind hungered for more, and wanted more information on the subject. Yet, she didn't know where to start, since the area was so expansive, and there was so much she could explore in just one night. All she could think to do now was look at Adam, and wait for him to say something, anything about this stunning place.

To Eve's contentment, it wasn't long before he began. "Welcome, dearest, to the city of Alicegrad, the capital of Levianta, and where we'll be staying for a while," he said, the girl's heart melting when she heard Adam use the word "dearest" to describe her. Was this what true happiness felt like? Because if so, she could get used to this. "Now, I was wondering whether you would like to go to the facility that we'll be spending the most time in, due to all of the tests you'll need to take, or would you want to take a tour of the city? It can be rather exciting, so I think you would like it."

Eve knew her answer right away. She knew that if she went straight there, she would probably go to bed, and they may never get to see everything in that case. "I want to see everything. I want to see it all with you, if you're alright with it," she replied, with eyes hopeful, nearly pleading for him to go around. Thankfully enough, Adam wasn't all that tired to begin with, having a tolerance for sleepless nights, since his duties sometimes required him to stay awake for longer periods of time than it should be humanly possible. Staying up late on a night like this, in order to keep the false pretense of his care for her alive would be easy. And so he nodded, that gesture on it's own making Eve nearly jump for joy. 

The tour seemed to last forever, or at least that was how Adam felt about it. After all, it was as if a mother was carting around her five year old daughter to see all the sights, which made him rethink the dosage of Venom a bit more. And yet, there was no turning back now, and this was what he chose for her, and for himself, despite the toll it might take on his sanity if this excitement kept up for too much longer. But Eve took in everything he said. As if she were a child, her curiosity blossomed with every new place they came across. Whether it be a restaurant, a store, a grand library, or anything in between that you could conjure up, she asked endless questions on the subject. Even while it tired out Adam, making him more exhausted than he had ever been on his previously mentioned late nights. Though strangely, her excitement seemed to diminish once they reached their lodging sight, otherwise known as the Royal Institute. Eve could feel a shiver run down her spine as she looked at it, and it seemed to give a different feeling instead of wonder and mystique, this place felt full of something wrong. Something that she couldn't put her finger on, but something wrong nonetheless. 

At first, she hoped that it was merely another place, just somewhere that was in the distance, but nowhere that she would have to spend any time in. Unfortunately, the assumption she made in her head was wrong. Very wrong. She tried to get Adam to keep moving, so she wouldn't have to look at it anymore, but that didn't work for her in the slightest, since he stayed put right where he was. "Eve, this is the Royal Institute. We'll be staying here for a while, so it would be a good idea to put on a pleasant face," he replied, letting Eve's spirits begin to sink into the ground. It only seemed to grow worse though, as a figure stepped into the light of the moon, a figure that she had never seen before, but could already tell that she didn't like. 

Even though at first sight, he didn't seem to be all that powerful. He was a brown haired man, with glasses and a white lab coat. That seemed to be the only thing that set him apart from any other person she may come across, besides the feeling that she got from him. The feeling that shook her down to her very soul. As he approached the two of them, Eve clung to Adam's arm, shielding her face from him in fear. Though Adam didn't seem to notice, or at least pretended that he didn't notice at all. "Eve, there's nothing to be afraid of. This is Seth, one of my coworkers. You'll be seeing a lot of him as well, but he isn't here to hurt you," he replied. 

This man, Seth, couldn't help but laugh a little at her fear. It didn't seem to have any malice behind it, but with a man of the likes of him, you could never know his true intent. "It's alright, I suppose you're just nervous since you've never seen me before? There's nothing to worry about, I'm only here to help you, since we all need you to birth the twin gods. There is no reason for me to cause you harm," he said, as Eve began to shift a bit out of Adam's arm, and notice that his hand was outstretched, as if he was waiting for her to shake it. So, in that moment, she did, even if she had to hide her own wincing from him. Even if he was scary, she would rather not come off as rude. She knew that much for sure. "Good, now I suppose since you're so late coming here, you've already seen the city? Good, good, then we can go right inside, and show you to your room." He only hesitated for a moment, as he went inside. The pair followed him in, though they seemed to lag behind, mostly because of how Eve's will was being. She didn't want to be close to him, especially since she had something to say to Adam, and only Adam. 

"He seems really scary..." she mumbled to Adam, with her eyes focused on Seth as she talked, hoping that he wouldn't turn around, since that may mean that he was hearing what she had to say. She didn't want him to hear... She didn't want to get in trouble, no matter what that trouble may be. 

"He is, but it's okay, I'll protect you, alright?" he said, as she was fully convinced. She gave him a nod, but the two of them continued to stay farther away from him. Even if Adam usually had to fake his kindness for her, now he felt something a bit different in his mind. Not the same sort of love that she synthetically felt for him, but something different. The love of a father, maybe? He didn't know, he just knew that he would have to keep it in. He couldn't let anyone around him know that he was beginning to feel sympathy toward a test subject.


	6. Fear of Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve, in a moment of weakness and self doubt, runs away from the laboratory in order to find a place for herself, although this ends up being short-lived.

As days continued to pass, Eve found herself frightened by the many possibilities of the experiment with the Twins of God. Even if Adam always said that she was the perfect candidate for it, and while she was excelling at all the tests she was made to complete, she was still hung up on her own place here, and with what would happen were she to fail. After all, this was such an important task. If it wasn't done right, the world may be destroyed, or even worse than that! She didn't wish for those around her to be hurt! Especially not Adam, the one that she cared for the most, and the one who loved her the most in return. And while she was told that the risk of failure wouldn't be all that high, there was still one person out there who made her hang up on that one idea, one person that brought her more fear than anyone else ever could. 

Seth. Seth had a way with himself, a way with his words that would make Eve tremble on sight. And it wasn't merely something superficial about him, like the way that he looked, although it did play a small part in her feelings. No, the true reason for her fear was the energy she could feel around him. It wasn't right. It couldn't be benevolent, or even human. Yet, that wasn't even the whole story with how she saw him, considering that he liked to toy with her as well. As one of the head scientists, he would come into her room a lot, with this usual shtick at first, since that was in his job description. But then, things would take a sinister turn, as he would distort any physical problem she may have into something frightful. While the girl should realize that things were blown out of proportion, she couldn't help but feel this fear. And she played into his hand with her feelings of dread and discomfort, considering how she was so nervous if he even mentioned certain ailments, some that she had even heard of before at the clinic, and knew were harmless, and that she hadn't even contracted them. 

Even so, she could feel it in her bones. Something wasn't right about him, in a generally speaking manner. There was something wrong, and he wanted to do something to her, to the whole experiment, even! Yet, she couldn't say a word about it. She knew clearly that they wouldn't believe her, even if she had some kind of evidence to back her up. A lot of people who worked there respected Seth, and would figure she was crazy if she even thought of badmouthing him. Though, she had one feeling of comfort in this place, and of course, it was Adam. He seemed to understand her feelings on him, even telling her that he felt a similar way to her. 

But, she felt as though she were a bother to him. He had work to do here, after all. Why should he have to listen to the ramblings of her own imagination, that were similar to those of a small girl who had a nightmare. Without that feeling of comfort though, she'd driven herself into a new state of fear and dread. She didn't want to have this feeling. And she didn't wish to burden the one she loved with her problems, so she could only figure one solution in her brain, and that was to run off. Run away from the facility. They could find someone new to carry out the project, couldn't they? There were a whole array of mages in her hometown alone, so what special use would they even have for her? What would her involvement change in the grand scheme of this project. Nothing, if she was to be honest to herself. So one day, early in the morning, when everyone was bound to be asleep, she snuck away from the laboratory, though not before taking her dose of the special medicine that Adam gave her, out of impulse before anything else. Then, she found her feet taking her toward the one place that she knew well. A place that she had great comfort in, and the place that all of her ancestors may have gone to themselves, and may be watching over her. Held's Forest. 

It was a place scorned by many who lived in Levianta, but she still had her belief in it. Although there were many that would call it idiotic for her to still have hope in a place like this, she wasn't going to listen. She believed in the tree god, and she believed in her ancestors that could be resting in this very place. Maybe they could guide her, and help her understand what was going on in this terrifying new place. And even if it didn't, she would still be happy to go. Find something with a bit more familiarity than the white walls and floors that surrounded her every day. It was so alien, and she had no happiness in it. Well, there was one, but she was merely a burden to him anyway while she stayed there, so there wasn't any use in dwelling on it. 

So, for a while during the day, she merely wandered around, without a single care in the world. She felt at peace while she was here, and the burdens of being perfect, and doing everything right were lost on her, considering that she was here now. And yet, she knew that she couldn't go back home, either. She didn't want to know what her family would say, or even do to her if they saw her again. After her leaving them alone, without any sort of note to write about them?! Oh, she would be in huge trouble at the very least, but she didn't even wish to think about what kind of trouble it would be. Would they put her one some sort of restriction, or would it be something worse? Would they even try to seal away what minuscule amount of magic she had left for this crime? Honestly, she would admit that she probably deserved it. And she did miss home! But if that was the case, she couldn't go back, so there was only one idea left in her head. She would have to make a life for herself in this forest.

At any rate, she thought that she could do it. After all, she knew a lot of things that you could eat, and other things that you couldn't. She knew how to make a fire as well, even if the knowledge came from watching her father, mother, and elder brothers do it. She could do it too! Well, she could if she could lift the wood well enough, which she had faith in herself to accomplish, though she might have to try and use magic for her abilities to truly kick into gear. But at any rate, she had faith in herself, and her abilities. She could do this on her own, if she only put her mind to it. 

Though, while she was mentally preparing herself to do some sort of work, that she had to decide on, since she knew she was going to be working on something important today, at the very least, she heard something. At first, she dismissed it as nothing but the wind, or a bird, or even merely her mind playing tricks on her. But that didn't seem to be the case at all. As she continued to work on her own, having made up her mind on gathering herbs and food today, she heard it get louder, and more discernible. After a while, she began to realize what it was. It was some sort of voice, though she couldn't quite tell who the owner of it was. But she did know what was being said at that moment. It was her name... Someone was looking for her, and she didn't know who. Honestly, she didn't want to know. Wherever the voice wanted to go, she didn't want to go there. It didn't matter whether it was home, or to the laboratory. She didn't want to be there, only to be punished for something. She was so afraid, she didn't want to even think about all this anymore. She wanted to be her own person at that point, even if she had never been one to fare all that well on her own. 

And yet, there was something about the voice that held her back from moving, even if she wrote it off as her own fears getting the better of her. She should have known better though, she should have known to run off when she had the chance to do it. Yet, she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to move past the small clearing that she had found, and had been sitting in for that short time. She couldn't understand the reason for it though, that understanding didn't come into her mind until such a time later... An achingly long time, as she continued to grab edible herbs and the like, while telling herself to block out the noises that came ever closer. Though, it wasn't long before she realized the owner of the voice. It was Adam... He had really come all this way, and because of her? She didn't know how she really felt about that once she realized it. One part of her brain wanted to run to him, so his worries and searching would be over. And another part was squarely against that proposition. After all, the entire laboratory would be much better off without her, especially him. She didn't want to burden him anymore. But what was she supposed to do? 

There were so many options that lay out before her, but she decided to stay where she was. After all, this was Held's Forest, and she believed in his decision. If he was meant to find her, then he would. If she was meant to stay here, then it would happen. That was what she squarely believed, and she didn't plan on abandoning it now. With that thought clearing her heart of any doubt she may have, she continued what she'd been working on. The fate that she believed in, and the god she trusted deciding for himself, she soon noticed his voice getting closer, and closer still, until she saw him. And she hadn't completely noticed until he was nearly in front of her as well. She really hadn't been paying much attention to these things, until she could gain understanding that he really was right there, present before her eyes. She gave him a soft smile, and innocent one, filled with no regret, no sadness for her situation, none of it. After all this time, she found herself happy to see him, even if she held the mindset that she was only hurting him.

Yet, the man had stared into her eyes, and they seemed afraid. Eve frowned at that, beginning to realize the truth about what she had caused, what she had done. She had left him in that state, even if she hadn't meant to. She didn't want him to be afraid for her... But, before she could make any sort of response, or reaction, he went up and hugged her. Tightly, and with reckless abandon as well. A genuine hug, but not in the sort of genuine that you may think. 

"Eve!" he cried out, while he continued to keep his arms around her. It was funny, almost. The hug he was giving made her think of one of her brothers. As if it were Abraham hugging her, instead of the man she loved. She thought nothing of it though, and just let him continue, since she didn't quite know what to say at the moment, or if there were even words for her to say here. "Is this really where you've been all this time? Why did you come here, what happened?"

"I..." Eve began to say, before she found herself sighing. It was hard to find an explanation in her head that wouldn't make her sound stupid. Had she really done all this, making people fear for her and such. Though of course, her heart still harbored a hatred for Seth. She didn't want him anywhere near her, but maybe that much wasn't so great of an explanation. So maybe she should come clean to a few of her reasons, even though she believed them all to be stupid, and not worth the trouble he went through to get here. "I thought that I wasn't good enough to save everyone. I... I thought that you all would be better off without me so I... I ran off! I'm really sorry-" She brought herself to the brink of tears with that part, shaking a bit, and unable to really gather herself up again.

And yet, the look on Adam's face stayed benevolent, much to her surprise. "It's alright, it's okay that you were scared but... Just know that we chose you because you are the best mage in your country, and mine. And I believe in your ability, so please! Don't give up now... We need you."

She couldn't help but feel at ease when he said all of this, finding it hard not to melt into his arms once she heard it. Even those words were completely true to his heart, as something began to click in him. Something that began in the laboratory when they first made it there, and hadn't gone away since they arrived. He wanted to protect her, even if that wasn't in the plans. He was merely supposed to lure her in with false promises of love, and yet he felt more as though she was a sister, or a daughter to him. He would have to shake the feeling somehow, but he didn't know how it would work just yet. He couldn't feel any sort of emotion for her, not if he was to keep his job. Or, he could keep it a secret, he would do so in a heartbeat, since he didn't want her to suffer here. Not without love, so he would take her in his care, even if he had to feign it as love for her own protection. He would care for her as long as he could, if it would make sure she was okay. And it would assure her happiness, even if she couldn't feel the way she was meant to. They wouldn't hurt her, no matter what. 

"Though, we should probably go back... Everyone's waiting for you, they want you back soon... It's getting dark, at any rate." Eve nodded at his proposition, as he offered a hand out for her to take. She took it without fail, as the two of them began to walk. And although she kept the herbs and fruits she found in the forest in another hand, she wasn't told to drop them, so she made sure that she would keep them in her hands, since who knows? He might have some sort of desire for them, even if the chance was slim. 

"Hey..." Eve began to say, gaining Adam's attention from the road ahead.

"Yes?"

"You said that you wanted us to get married, right?" 

"Of course... But what does that have to do with your question?"

"Oh I was... I was um, thinking that maybe, we could get married in this place. In... In Held's forest. I've always liked it here, you know?"

"Well, I would be delighted to do that, once the children are born..."

"Thank you..."

The rest of the walk was cloaked in a comfortable silence between the two, both for completely different reasons than the other. And yet, both of them were satisfied, in their own little ways.


	7. Calculation of Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth pays Eve a little visit, that proves detrimental to her mental health

Seth couldn't be more relieved when he heard the news of Eve being found, and coming back to the laboratory when the news was given. Though, it wasn't for the same reasons that his colleagues had. No, they all were glad because they had at first feared for the project itself, since Eve was a perfect candidate, with her high magic potential, and pure body. But Seth found different reasons to feel joy for this occasion, and all in all, they weren't great ones. Through all the brainwashing, and toying that Adam was doing of his own volition, Seth found a wonderful opportunity. He had quickly taken notice of the estranged state of mind she was in, one that gave the impression that there were easy ways to manipulate her in his own bidding. After all, his goal was to sabotage the project in any way he could. At first, he wished to try and sabotage his coworker's progress, thinking that if the calculations were wrong, then the idea itself would fail. But after careful observation of Eve, through how she acted, and was affected under the Venom drug's influence, he had a better plan.

While the drug itself was meant for brainwashing, and other pursuits of that nature, he noticed now that it had many other side effects, as could be with many other types of drugs. First of all, she never seemed to be completely there, when it came to her presence in mind. She seemed dazed an confused on most occasions. Even with Adam around, she wasn't present and focused on anything particularly. She also seemed to have developed an anxiety disorder of some kind, as she apologized much more often than what was normal, and she had frequent panic attacks, that seemed to increase in intensity whenever he was in the room. He never knew that the drug had those sort of effects, but at any rate, the drug was also infused with a magic, which had never been the scientist's strong suit. He was someone who studied, not someone who practiced. At any rate, he didn't find it to be his problem. After all, it only made things easier for him, when it came to his own ideas. 

While these ideas were good in theory, at the same time, Seth realized that he would also have to put his plans into action, at least if he ever wished to get anything done. So, he went right to work on it, knowing that he could pose his visit as a checkup, and no one would be any the wiser. Not even Eve, considering that she was taught not to fear him, from the man that she trusted the most, Adam. That trust was likely to become her downfall, seeing that things could go very wrong considering. No matter the case, he was ready to go in. And while she would never be ready for him, it wasn't something he worried over. 

\---

It had been a few days since Eve had conceived the twins, about a week after she came back from Held's forest those days ago. So, while they hadn't even been born yet, she could barely contain her excitement for them. Not only would they be the saviors of this world, but they would be her children, and children that she could be proud of. Though she was merely a teenager, and she didn't even know if she was ready to give birth right now, she still felt ready for it, even if it would be nearly nine months from now. 

What she didn't like, though, was the multitude of checkups that she needed to go through. Of course, she understood that they were necessary, especially since it had to do with the twins, the most important parts of the project. And yet, that wasn't the issue that she had. It was the doctors that were the problem, since many of them (though one of them stood out to her in particular), scared her in a way that she wouldn't want to describe. Not to anyone she knew, not even to Adam. Even then, Adam knew of her problem with one of them in particular, the one she was afraid of the most. And the one that was stopping by the most for those same checkups. Seth... 

It was obvious from the moment she met him, that she wasn't going to like him. The way he looked at her all the time made her nervous, and not in a way that you would think. She wasn't afraid of being taken advantage of by him, since he seemed like the type of person who wouldn't have an intimate relationship with anyone. No, it was because she could always notice him watching her, with a sort of malice in his eyes. She never knew why it was there, or what the purpose of those eyes were, but it left her shaken to see him in that way nonetheless. While she tried to avoid him when the project was young, she knew that this wouldn't work any longer. After all, he was one of the head scientists, and doctors. He would be here, and there wasn't anything she could do to stop it. 

For the checkup of the morning, she knew exactly who to expect, considering he had always been checking in on her that way since the system was implemented. It wasn't fun to see him every morning, just as she was trying to wake up. But somehow, she coped with the idea. And right on schedule, around 7:30 am, as Eve was trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes, and prepare herself for the day, there he was, giving a knock of indication before coming in the room. She jumped slightly at the sound of it, even though she knew who was there. Hell, the fact that she knew was the even scarier part of it, to tell the truth. And yet, she put a brave face on anyway. He would only be there for a moment, she had nothing to worry about... Right?

"Good morning Eve," he greeted politely, though that only earned him a nod from her in return. While Seth had to stop himself from making a face at her, since he knew that would be unprofessional, he continued on. "I suppose that you feel the same way that you did yesterday morning, so I don't have to ask?" She nodded again. "Good, but there is one more question I should ask you before we really get started. Have you been taking any sort of drugs or medications? I would just like to know, in case we need to make calculations based on it."

Eve wasn't totally sure what she should respond with. After all, while Adam never said that she couldn't tell people about the medicine he gave her, she didn't really know if she should. After all, he never said that she could either... And no one else seemed to know about that drug, and what it did to her. At any rate though, she decided that there probably wasn't much harm in it, and nodded once more. "Yes... Adam has been giving me some medicine to help with my magic development. And that's because the babies need magic to feed off so they can develop well, right?" she replied, trying to make sure she had the facts straight. Because, if there was one thing she trusted with Seth, it was the fact that he knew a lot of things. 

"Oh... I believe Adam did bring that up with me, yes," he replied, although the look he shot toward the door would imply that this wasn't truly the case, and he was only making it seem that way to save face. And at any rate, it wasn't as though Eve would care too much, as dazed as she was. "And you are right in believing that you need to have a lot of magic potential, because that is very true. But I do wonder about how you've been acting lately."

"Acting..? What do you mean?"

"Well, you've been seeming very stressed lately, over many things. It can't really be good for the children if you keep freaking out like that. And while I don't think it has anything to do with the medicine, I still wish for you to keep yourself calmer, or we may have problems. You do wish to keep things smooth, do you not?"

All of what Seth said seemed to have an opposite effect on Eve, since he was pulling some form of reverse psychology anyway. She seemed tenser, trying to focus on something, and fix something that couldn't really be controlled. And yet, she nodded anyway, in an attempt to make him go away, so maybe she would have some thread of a way to calm herself down, for the sake of the children. Though Seth, realizing that his job was basically done by now, left the room, so she would be kept to her own devices. While that could be good for some, for Eve, it could be devastating. 

For the final part of his work though, he wanted to assure that things would go wrong. Assure that the children wouldn't be born, just so he could see the reaction. See how it hurt everyone who had been desperately hoping and praying for it's success. So he went to the computers, working on certain codes, certain things he could control from this perspective. Especially the calculations, considering Adam had spent so much time on them. His aim was to play with some of the codes that seemed would do the most damage, and even if it didn't kill them, he wanted something to be wrong with them. So while he worked, he even added a code that would give them HERS. Just in case, of course. With all his work, he barely stepped away in time, before other scientists came back in the room. 

And yet, even though he was trying to make the calculations into errors, he himself had made mistakes. Mistakes that would cause the entire project to go out of his favor.


	8. The Bringer of Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hold on to your hats kids, we're sliding right into AU territory now. Anyway, this is the birth of the twins, and where they get their names. Seth also does some plotting.

Today was the day.

It had been nine months. Nine long, excruciating months that left Eve rattled for a great number of reasons. For reasons that stemmed from the anticipation of the twins' arrival, Seth's little visits, and the talk and whispers that came from all sides of the project, everyone whispering about how they hoped she would succeed. Of course, they never talked bad about her, but the feeling of having numerous people's hopes and dreams lying on the shoulders of her, a seventeen and a half year old girl, was a hard weight to carry. 

And yet finally, after everything that she had gone through, and everything that may possibly happen, today was the day.

She felt well enough, though of course the feeling of "well enough" was factored in with the fact that she was about to give birth to a pair of twins, which would most likely have an effect on her health and feeling for a moment. 

And even then, she could feel a bit of stage fright. Not because of the birth itself, though she was still having a problem coping with that. No, her current fear had to do with the multitude of scientists that were lined up to watch this happen. Everyone she met during her time in Levianta was here, which meant that the stakes stayed high on her shoulders. Especially since Seth was very close to the operating table. But thankfully, as if he were a sign from Held himself, Adam was also present, watching and making sure nothing was going wrong. And of course, he stayed at the table for emotional support. 

But things started well and smooth, like most twin births were likely to go. Of course, it was painful, but weren't all births just like that? Plus, if her mother could do something in the same vein three times over, then she was likely to do the same with flying colors. At least, that was the hope of her, and everyone else in the room.

And while there were a few problems that concerned the birth, though none of them could really be controlled, as one of the children kept trying to push the other. It would've been funny if so much wasn't on the line, but even with that, in several hour's time, it was done. The children were born, and they were healthy, and happy looking children. 

The more stubborn one, the one that had pushed the other so it could be born first, was a boy. The other was a girl. And though it seemed that the stronger twin was the boy, everyone had high hopes for the both of them, high hopes that they truly would be the saviors of the world. At long last, the only thing that was left now was to give the two of them a name. And, seeing that this wasn't a scientific job, and a task more suited for Eve to do alone, the other scientists left the room. Only Adam and Eve were left, the latter basically begging the former to stay with her, and help her with this. Not as though she needed too much help, she just wanted him there. As far as anyone was concerned, he was the father of these two, at least that was how she pictured it in her head. So he should be here for the naming, and no one else. No one else had the business to know, honestly.

"So, did you have any ideas?" Adam asked, since Eve already seemed eager to share them. Even when she wanted Adam around to "help," she had the idea for the names circling in her head from the very beginning, and she had reasons for every one of them as well, though there were only a few that she really had stored in mind.

"Weeeeell," she began. "Remember when the project started, because of our names they gave some placeholders for their possible names? Cain and Abel, right? Cause of that one fake religion that Madame Merry-Go-Round liked to talk about sometimes."

"You mean Christianity? The one she heard from the stories of the true Gods?"

"Yeah! Well, I was thinking that maybe they could have similar names to those. And cause of the genders, I think I might go with... Carrion for the boy and Abigail for the girl... Do you like them?"

"I do... I really do." Eve smiled, putting the twins in her lap before reaching for Adam with her grabbing hands for a hug, which was very quickly given to her.

"Then, there we are... I really hope that the prophecies were right... I want them to save the world, but I also want them to be happy. With their lives. With me. With us. I'm allowed to do that too, right?"

"Of course, dear. Now, get some rest. That was a hard procedure, and you deserve it after all the work you did to get through this." Eve nodded at his words, closing her eyes while still holding the babies close to her, as if it were an instinct to do so, even if she had never been a mother of any kind before. It was fine, everything felt better than it ever had now that she was done with the process, and she had her children beside her, healthy and happy. Though, while most would feel the same way as she, there was one who was obviously unhappy...

\---

Seth paced around his personal laboratory. He had messed with the codes, he remembered doing so. So why? Why were the children okay? Did one of the other scientists find the mistake? Had he done it too early in their development so that they would be able to shake off those codes? He didn't know, he couldn't understand it. 

But at any rate, there was one saving grace in all this that he could find. There was one piece of his code that had worked in his favor. Though he had hidden this finding from the other scientists, in order to keep anyone else from making a scene about this. The code for HERS had still played out as planned, and they were set to develop it under the correct circumstances. And yet, he made sure that the HERS was mild, something that could just be written off as nothing without proper cultivation, that he would give to them once the time was right. 

The ending wouldn't bring everyone into a hopeless state as he planned, but it wasn't a complete loss, if he thought about the project objectively. He had a leg to stand on in this, and he would use it to bring down as many people as possible. No one would have to suspect him either. As the puppet master, he could play as much as he wished.

And maybe, he wouldn't even have to stop with the children. Their mother and father were going to become very important soon, considering that the birth was a success, and the mother would become queen. Considering how Eve cared for Adam with a passion, that was something he could use to his advantage as well. 

No, this wasn't at all a failure. On the contrary, he was about to have a lot of fun.


	9. Families Old and New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve's brother returns, and we learn a bit about the Twins of God

Seven years had gone by since the birth, and everything was going smoothly, and according to the preset plans. Eve was given a coronation as soon as she recovered from the birth, which only took about two weeks. Thankfully, the coronation itself went without error itself, the only possible problem being that Eve had almost tripped on her dress on the way there. She didn't though, so it was alright. The marriage went as planned as well, though only people that the couple knew from the lab were there. Eve had never really thought about the fact that she'd never see her family again before this moment. It didn't matter though. They had only wanted to stop her from saving the world. Stop her from being with the man she loved. She couldn't care less that it was supposedly "for her own protection," it was something both hurting her, and the kingdom!

Even still, she missed everyone from back home. She missed her brothers, and the way they'd help her along with her duties no matter how hopeless she was. She missed her parents, and the good advice they gave when she most needed it. But even with her harbors on the past, she knew she couldn't think too long and hard on the subject. It would make her depressed, and they did need her in the best shape possible for her duties. So they were expelled of her own volition as often as she could do it.

Although Eve had thought work as queen would be hard, she found that she was sorely mistaken. Of course, it wasn't really a bad thing, considering the less work she had to do, the more time she could spend with the children. And yet, she also wondered if anyone in the country truly trusted her with the crown. She was an adult now, yet she never had much to do besides dote on the children. She could never figure out why. She thought that it was due to the circumstance of the children, but sometimes she thought otherwise...

The kids themselves were a great handful at times, especially Carrion. Since he was small, he had always been quite headstrong. Even at his own birth, he showed these qualities. That made him rather hard to tame, but even still, Eve loved him. And he loved her the same amount, somehow being the one to make her smile more than anyone else, with his newfound sense of humor. 

Of course, she loved Abigail just the same. The girl was much more timid and mild mannered than her brother, which was a relief when it came to keeping her in line. She was well behaved, but she never socialized well. In many instances, she took to hiding between her mother's leg when someone she didn't know came to the castle. And due to her sheltered life, living around the castle, the only people the small girl knew were her parents, and the servants working on castle grounds. 

Though, what was even better on Eve's part was how the children got along. They did so splendidly, especially since Abigail let Carrion take the lead on most things. While Eve wasn't quite sure if it had to do with Abigail wanting him to be happy, or her just being too skittish and nervous to speak up for herself, it didn't matter much. At least the family was happy in itself.

Well, at the very least it tried to be. After all, as King, Adam had much more work to do in capital affairs than she did. He had much more work to do, and while Eve missed him dearly, she tried not to complain. After all, she knew that he wasn't doing anything scandalous, as he came right home after his meetings, and he had eyewitnesses that told her what she needed to know. And no matter where he was, or how long he was gone, she still loved him with the same passion that she did the first time. 

Though one day, as she was letting her children play around in the garden, she heard a commotion come from the outside of the castle. It was loud, and hard to ignore. So, she made sure the young ones knew that she would be going inside for a moment, and she'd be as back as soon as possible, and raced for the castle's entrance. 

She ran as fast as she could through the halls, even if it wasn't the quickest pace in the world considering the shoes she wore weren't designed for running. They were designed to walk around like a normal person would. But she pretended that she didn't notice, even if it hurt her feet excruciatingly in this state. She worked through the pain, and eventually, she arrived at the entrance, where she noticed a guard blocking someone from entering. Someone it took her a great deal of mental power to recognize, until it hit her. Abraham... How did he get here? And what was he doing? Well, he was being shooed out by the guards, but they did lock eyes once. 

When it happened, all that she could hear was him, and the words he tried to push through to her. "EVE, CAN YOU HEAR ME?" she clearly heard the cry. "PLEASE, THEY'RE BRAINWASHING YOU, YOU HAVE TO COME HOME! PLEASE, MOM AND DAD ARE SICK! WE NEED YOU-!"

He didn't seem completely finished by the time she couldn't hear him anymore, but there wasn't any way to give chase. She couldn't think of any good reason either, especially since she didn't want to get in trouble with the guards or anything. It had happened once before, when she attempted to go to Held's Forest by herself. She was already being watched for her own protection, and much to her annoyance, and she didn't wish to add something else to the list.

Trying to clear her mind of the events that had transpired in front of her, she went back out to the back of the castle, going slowly this time as to not hurt her feet. She didn't want to think about her brother's words. Sure, there was nothing her brother did that made her hate him. Hell, he wasn't even the reason she ran away, she did still miss him. But knowing that she would be hung up on the idea all day if she didn't stop thinking about it quickly, she tried to expel it from her mind, and focus on the young children who were waiting for her.

Surprisingly, when she walked into the open area, the children were soon to greet her, with matching grins on their faces, that made her forget about her past worries in an instant. "Heehee, what happened when I was gone? You guys looks really happy," she replied.

"We heard from the other side that it sounded kind of scary," Carrion replied first. "So we got the idea that you might want something that doesn't make you think about it. Abby, give her the thing." He gave the girl a small nudge, prompting her to hand over a crown of green clovers that the two of them had found around they yard.

"I... hope you like it, Mama-" Abigail added, curtly as the small one waiting for some sort of reaction, and hoped that it landed well.

The first thing their mother did was grin, and wrap the children into a hug. "You really did all of this for me? This is so sweet of you both, thank you..." she replied, as they didn't hesitate in hugging her back. It was all so warm and fuzzy, nothing like the scene she witnessed earlier. And to her own thoughts, maybe she wasn't focusing on what was important. Instead of holding her mind in a scary place, like the one her family tended to bring her into, she should keep her mind on the things that made her happy, like her children, and her husband. 

"We're glad you like it!" Carrion chirped, once he moved his way out of the hug, prompting Abigail to do the same. "We made one for Papa too, since he's coming home today, right?"

"Yes, as far as I was told. He'll be home rather soon actually, since it's already after noon, and he said he would be back by three this afternoon." Even though they didn't completely have a time in mind, the three of them all had one similar realization. That Adam could even be home any minute, by what Eve's news had to say. So, instead of dawdling around, and waiting for the King's return, they decided to wait for him with a purpose.

First, they made two more flower crowns for the children, Eve helping them along so they could get done quicker (even if they could manage just as well on their own). Once that was finished, the flower crown donning family waiting by the entrance of the castle, trying to keep themselves from erupting into a complete fest of giggles. They had to be quiet if they wanted the surprise to land as they intended, you know. So, they waited a while, quietly passing the time in their own various ways until they noticed a carriage clip-clopping into the range of their hearing. It had to be him, it had been long enough since he had come through anyways.

As they hid behind the wall, Eve looked out with small glances spared for the outside. It was him alright. The royal chariot had taken him to his latest meeting, and since that was the chariot she saw outside, she assumed that it had taken him back just the same. The group of them waited about five minutes until Adam came back in, and then, it began...

"Surprise!" They all shouted in harmonious vigor, leaving the man rather surprised, but not at all unhappy.

"Oh, and what was this for?" the man asked, a bit of humor showing through in how he talked. 

"This is a welcome home present for you, Adam," Eve smiled, as she presented the crown to him. "The children made one for each of us, so I wanted it to be special when you got it."

"Well, that's very sweet of you. Now, why don't we get something to eat. Since you've all worked so hard, and I haven't eaten in a good while, it would be criminal not to get some kind of food." The children cheered, and Eve nodded, watching the twins race over to the kitchen.

Yeah, even if she still thought of her old family at times, it was hard to see it all in a good light. Her life here was wonderful, with a wonderful husband, and just as wonderful children. She wanted to forget, because she knew what was better. Even then, what Abraham had told her then was stuck in her mind. Was she really being brainwashed? She didn't know... She didn't like the thought of it being true. And yet, as if it were the first rational thought she had in a while, a part of her wanted to investigate this. So, once they were finished with the food they shared together, she knew she would need to figure out what was going on, even if her thinking had been in the gutter for such a long time.


	10. Venom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eve learns the truth about the project she was given to, and she doesn't take it well, resorting to ideas that she'd never brought to her mind until now...

Ever since the frightening sight of her brother barreled into her vision those days ago, Eve hadn't been doing well. She stayed in her room much more frequently than ever before, and even then, her limited contact with others didn't help in the way she wished it to. While she was afraid to generally speak to anyone, the only exception being her children. Even Adam, who she loved and cherished with all her heart, made her feel afraid. She always stomached her feelings whenever she saw him, although she knew that wasn't a healthy solution either.

Brainwashed... Was she really being brainwashed? She had never thought so before, and yet her reasoning was that she had never put her mind to the matter. She thought it was unimportant, and unnecessary to continue thoughts on the matter. But now, their necessity was coming into question again. And when the question infiltrated her brain, she directed her thoughts to the medicine that she was given. She was told that it would assist in her unsealing magic. And yet, there were a few things that began to seem odd. 

After all, the side effects were unlike anything she'd felt before in a drug. And while she was originally certain that she'd just never heard of the medicine before, now she believed that the idea went deeper than she imagined. The only way she'd figure it out for sure, is if she looked for herself. After all, if Abraham was correct, she was being brainwashed and manipulated by not only the scientists that surrounded her when she still lived in the laboratory, but also by her husband, the person she believed she should trust the most. The one she she was sure she loved, and yet... Right now, she didn't know if her feelings were true to herself, and her heart. 

At the moment though, the woman knew that she should be looking farther into the matter. Just so she knew if there was something wrong with her. She believed that the best way to do this wasn't by asking around first, but by checking the source. The bottles that she was given. After all, she never looked deeply into the medicine itself. After all, when she first received the bottles, they were blank, nearly giving the appearance of a flask. Surprisingly, no one had raised questions before, but now, she finally remembered something important. The bottles, due to the fact that there were many more coming in throughout the time she was at the laboratory, while she was pregnant, finally had labels on them. Labels that she'd never batted and eye at before. But now, considering that she had new, and incriminating ideas flowing through her mind, now would be the perfect time to take a different look at the bottle once more. While she hoped there wouldn't be anything wrong, since she truly wanted to put faith in the people she'd been surrounded by for so long, she understood there was a good chance of something being revealed to her today. Something that could change her view on everything for a long time coming. 

And yet, realizing that she couldn't wait for the repercussions to find her, and destroy her completely, she rushed to the refrigerator. She hoped for the best in her crusade, but she prepared for the worst. With that in mind, she understood what may happen, and she believed she was prepared. And yet, she would never truly understand or prepare herself for the evidence and sight she laid eyes on. 

When she picked up a bottle, and scanned the label, she found something that rocked her down to the core. Venom. To be specific, Venom infused with magical enhancers. While she never heard of a magical enhancer with the effects the medicine she was taking gave, she did understand that Venom had similar effects on her. Considering how the infusion worked, it all became clear to her. The brainwashing drug... If that was her medicine, then everything fell into place, and she'd been the last to find out about this awful revelation. 

In her realization, she didn't know what to believe anymore. After putting the bottle back into the refrigerator and closing it, she slid her back down the machine, unsure of her own feelings now. She was so sad... The love she had in her heart was built off a falsehood that no one ever bothered to bring to her. It hurt. It hurt so much. And yet, the feeling of betrayal wasn't the only emotion that welled inside her soul. No, she similarly felt something else. Hate. She hated all these people for attempting to destroy her for the sake of their damned project. 

But, as if she were unable to do anything else, she began sobbing. Sobbing harder and louder than she ever had before. 

She was in pain.

She wanted someone to save her.

But even still, she knew that no one was coming.

The only one left would be herself. She was the only person inside this wretched place she could trust anymore.

At least, that was what flowed through her brain at the moment.

Soon enough though, she heard a creak of the door. Nearly jumping to her feet, she noticed that it was only Abigail who had come through the door, with a concerned, almost pitifully so, look on her face. As if she cared.

As Eve tried to wipe the tears from her face, not wishing for her daughter to stay so worried, the small girl began to speak without being told as such. "Mama... You were crying... What's wrong..?" she asked, although she seemed unsure of her own words for whatever reason. Eve could understand that feeling right now. She was unsure of everything that she'd ever known. But she did know something. She wanted Abigail and Carrion to be protected. They both deserved it. They were merely the products of this terrifying plot. They hadn't caused this, and she should remember this for the future, shouldn't she?

"I don't... I don't want to talk about it right now, Abigail. Can you give me a hug though..? Mama kind of needs it," she replied. The girl nodded, as she wrapped her arms around the shaking woman's form for a moment. It felt good, and Eve was happy for the first time in a sure week. She was so glad she wasn't alone in this awful place. 

Once it ended though, the smaller girl looked a lot happier. Still, it showed that she was feeling timid, and a bit nervous about nearly everything that was happening. Eve wrote it off as normal, considering this was how she acted during most times. But before Eve could think anything about it, Abigail started talking again. "I dunno what's going on too much, but can Papa come in and help when he gets back too?"

Eve remembered for a fact that Adam would be back in two days from now. When she realized this, she had another idea something that she quickly understood as an opportunity to her. She couldn't let either of the children find out about it though, so the only thing she could do was accept this. "Yes... Bring him in when he comes back please, I don't really want to leave the room right now." With a meek nod, Abigail took this information and left. 

Now, unbeknownst to anyone else present in this place, she planned to do something drastic. Something that she'd never planned to do before today. And something that she never wanted to do before today. But she knew it was the only way that she would free herself. The only way that she would feel secure, though she didn't know how.

She would need those two days to prepare. And hopefully, she would have everything planned out by the time she got there. Along with that, she had the hope that she could get the drug out of her system in time. Without the drug, she could think clearer. Act faster. She knew what she was doing now, and she was thinking clearer than she ever had before.

While a feeling of dread coursed throughout her entire body, at the same time, she could feel a sense of excitement and adrenaline. She was ready to fight for herself, no matter how unprepared the other side of the war was bound to be. 

And strangely enough, for the first time in so long, she was truly prepared for something.


	11. The Original Sin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOTE FOR THE BEGINNING OF THIS CHAPTER: This is where the story takes a dark turn. Many trigger warnings are in effect here, the main ones being gore, depictions of murder and insanity, drug over dosage, minor allusion to punishment and hell, and suicide. This warning is in place because I, the creator, do not wish for anyone to be harmed by my work. So if any of the above topics bring you harm, I would suggest against reading this chapter. I will give a synopsis at the bottom for those who need it. Thank you, and for those who will read, I hope you enjoy the story.

For the two day preceding her husband's return, Eve refused to see anyone. Not even her own children were allowed in the room, until it was time for bed, since her and the children slept in the same room. Even still, she was forced to falsify her sleep. She hadn't rested in such a long time, and she believed it was for good reason. She needed to plan. There was so much she meant to say. That she meant to do. Preparation was key here, and distractions, even those distractions that she held dear to her heart, had to be ignored for this period of time. 

Generally speaking though, Eve was a mess. Obviously, she looked as though she never learned to take care of herself. Her hair hadn't been brushed, her stature was much thinner than usual, to a point where her clothes nearly slipped from her body. And obviously, with her irregular sleep patterns in mind, she looked similar to a raccoon. Her mind was unfocused from those trivial thoughts though. Instead, she held focus to her plans. After all, they were important to her. If things didn't work as planned well... She didn't quite know what she'd do after that. Something drastic she assumed, but she didn't care about things being drastic anymore.

Obviously, she hadn't been taking the Venom anymore either. Her head was clearer now, considering that she was off the drug. Though, from its influence, she wasn't quite stable. Though, her mental issues could also be blamed on other things, considering her erratic plotting, and everything else that's stemmed from the one factor. 

Though Eve, from her one source of time, being the sun shining through her window, that was replaced by the moon during the night, knew that today was the day he returned. She'd thought out everything she believed she needed. What she planned to say. What she planned to do. How she planned to go through with it. Everything that was important. Or, at least important to her. 

Through the time itself, she waited. Waited in complete silence and disarray. Without need to continue with her ideas, but only to keep them lodged in her head, without letting them fly loose, or to have anyone figure out their secret. But the time marched on, slower than she ever imagined. Painfully slowly, to the point where she wanted to find him herself, and do as she wished. And yet, obviously that idea wouldn't work correctly either. So, with growing impatience, the waiting continued. 

But finally, whilst she was left in a standing position from her own pacing, the door was knocked on lightly, then opened by none other than Adam. Finally, today was the day! Now was the time! The time left in preparation for nearly forty-eight hours. "Eve..? Is everything..?" he began, before the door opened completely, and he saw how she looked, a product of what he believed was his leaving. "Oh Levia, Eve! What happened to you?" He brought his hand close to her cheek, but she slapped it away with a vigor she'd never felt in her soul before today. 

"Don't. Touch. Me," the woman seethed, causing Adam to back closer toward the door. She was quiet for a long time, nearly throwing her original plots out the window. Instead of following her own words, she was angry. Angry beyond her own belief, now that she could see his face. See how he was pretending to be an honest and good person. In reality, she knew the farce. Now, she understood better than she ever had before. "You lied to me..." she muttered, beginning to grip her shoulders with aimless vigor.

At first, she wished to be rational. To control herself and make better decisions for herself concerning her plan. But now? She couldn't care less. She may fly off the track at any given moment. She was ready to burst. In for the kill. It brought to her a thrill that she'd never experienced before in her life. The wild intensity of her soul grew out of control, and she didn't care. No, more than that. The idea of winding out of control was a new feeling. Exciting. Wonderful. New. Control was her enemy now. Now, and for as long as she was on this planet, she wouldn't fall victim to the control of others again. 

Yet Adam himself was still unaware of this. Her mind was an enigma to him at this moment. All he could see was a woman, who seemed completely lost and helpless. Out of her mind, even. So his first instinct, that he'd gathered from before, was to help her in some way. "Eve, I don't know what you're talking about, please... Just let me help you," he pleaded. Those pleas, however. Fell on deaf ears. The only thing that remained was the woman giggling. Giggling with such an intensity that she'd never known before. Expressing emotions she'd never felt before. 

"NO!" she exclaimed, her voice loud, yet shaken. Wavering and unstable, even though she knew what she was doing. She still wasn't such how she was going about it, at any rate. "NONONONONONO! YOU RUINED ME, YOU CHANGED ME FOR YOUR OWN BENEFITS, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" She hadn't planned to speak like this, to be honest. At this point, she was hinging off what she wanted at first. She wished for something different now. Something that put to use a certain something that laid in the pocket of an apron she was partial to wearing lately. 

Adam staggered back at her comments, unknowing of what laid in store for him, but terrified of the prospect at any rate. "Eve, stop talking like that... I don't know what's going on, but you need to calm down."

His comment, suddenly, made her begin to laugh. Though, the laugh wasn't one Adam had ever heard before. Instead of a happy little laugh that he heard all the time, he was listening to something more sinister than that. Starting off as a low laugh. Quiet, and under her breath, until the point that it grew maniacal. She hated the lies that were being spread at this very moment. She hated everything about him at this moment, with good reason to back her point along. So, she would show him the truth that she knew. The truth that he couldn't ignore. 

"You filthy liar..." she began. "You KNOW about the drug. YOU GAVE IT TO ME! And now look at me... I'm broken. I'm broken... Can't be fixed it's... IT'S ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULT! STOP PRETENDING ALL THESE BULLSHIT THINGS, CAUSE IT'S NOT FUNNY, YOU AREN'T BLOODY FUNNY, YOU PIECE OF GARBAGE." Her breaths grew irregular by that point, unable to distinguish her own thoughts. Adam himself was left in shock by her words, unable to completely comprehend it, but now beginning to realize his own grave mistake. 

"I'm... I'm so sorry... I didn't know that you knew- I never wanted you to find out, especially without me telling you, I-" Adam began, before completely breaking down, unable to complete what he wanted to say. Eve looked over him, scanning him for a moment, before, instead of completing her first planned actions, bringing him to the wall in an embrace. An embrace of trust, or so he thought.

"Oh, Adam..." she began, in a dreamy, singsong voice, before flicking a knife out of the apron pocket, and keeping it behind her back without a word, until... "It's always been to late for that." The words pounded hard, almost as if the knife was already in use. And yet, that wasn't completely incorrect.

Instead of making some form of reconciliation, she nearly threw the man to the ground, before stepping hard on his chest with both her legs, so he wouldn't get up again. With another laugh escaping her lips, she continued to move, all straying far from her plan, but she didn't care. This was better than her plan, even. So much better. She couldn't contain her own excitement. The joy that came to her soul when she continued this. 

Adam tried to plead for something. His life, for her to stop. Something along those lines, but Eve couldn't hear it anymore. He was quieted by her silencing his lungs, much as her own were while they were together. 

She began stomping with her right foot, hearing the man cough up blood at each step she took. He seemed afraid. Worried for so much, not even for his life alone. That didn't matter though. His existence didn't matter, especially since he'd committed such crimes against her. Crimes that he would've kept from her for eternity if he just had the chance, and the means. That opportunity was stolen from him though. 

The way this continued was cathartic to Eve. She'd been hiding emotion for such a long time, unable to express it because she didn't wish for anyone to know. But now? She could let it out, and let it out hard. The only thing she didn't do was make a lot of noise with it. While her chamber was rather secluded, Eve didn't wish to take any chances with the lone person who may come up and check on them. So she kept herself as quiet as she could with her revenge. 

After a while though, she realized that this wasn't enough. Just making him suffer and letting him go wasn't enough, especially if there was the possibility of him talking, no matter what she did to stop him. So of course, there was one solution, that made adrenaline course through her veins at the very thought. She was excited to go through with it. The thought made her happy, and it showed through a grim change in her expression. One that made Adam's eyes widen.

Sitting down level to Adam's position on the floor, Eve stared at him with a knife shining in her hand. She could see Adam trying to scream, but his lungs wouldn't let him. Eve was letting him breathe, but only enough so that she could see the look on his face, with him alive in the moment. Beautiful... She couldn't wait any longer to move...

She plunged the knife into his chest, slowly, but with force. She wanted it to hurt, just as much as he'd hurt her. And so that's what she did. Over... And over... And over again... Even after he had died, the stabbing continued. She couldn't stop herself She didn't want to stop. She wanted this to go on forever.

At least, for a little while...

After she'd continued for a bit, she stopped abruptly, realizing the impact of what she'd done, the sin she committed weighing on her back and staying there hard. The realization itself was painful. Seeing his dead body, and realizing that even if he'd committed atrocities against her, that wasn't the way to go. 

The knife dropped from her hand one final time with a clatter to the floor. She backed away from the body, attempting to stifle any scream she produced. She didn't have the right to scream, after all. Not now, and not ever again. All she could do was continue to back away. Until she hit the fridge with her back. The fridge that had caused this mess in the first place. The very sight of it made her fill with despair, unlike any feeling she understood before. And yet, it similarly gave her an idea. A horrible idea, but one nonetheless.

She opened it, reaching out for a full bottle of venom, until she felt it in her grasp and screwed the top off.

She couldn't live with the sin.

She couldn't...

So she wouldn't.

Her hands shook as she gripped the bottle, unsure of herself. Unsure of everything that she planned to do. I mean, wouldn't it be more fitting for someone like her to be punished with confinement for the rest of her life? She had already been broken so long ago, she shouldn't be around others. And she shouldn't be allowed to escape this with death.

But she wanted to.

She had to.

She had to. She had to.

She had to. She had to. She had to.

Those words continued on repeat in her mind, as she looked at the open bottle, feeling nausea rise to her chest.

She couldn't believe this was going to happen.

"Adam... My beloved... I'll see you soon..." she finally muttered with disdain, before downing the entire full bottle in her hands, then grabbing another bottle and drinking it completely for good measure. 

The world spun around her, turning to blur before she could even take a step forward. She then collapsed to the ground.

With that act, the witch. The original sinner was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter where Eve confronts Adam for giving her the venom drug. He tries to apologize, but she doesn't let him. She instead begins to suffocate him, before stabbing him repeatedly. After completing this, she realizes what she's done, and overdoses on Venom. This details the original sin, but the story doesn't end here...


	12. Outbreak of the Seven Deadly Sins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins find the bodies of their dead parents, and Carrion finally unlocks his own hidden HER Syndrome, much to the dismay of everyone who's ever existed.

With fate, cruelly against the livelihood of the family, the twins were made locators of their parents' dead bodies. One, their father, was obviously stabbed to death, while their mother, they could see, died peacefully. A way that she may have wanted. They couldn't understand what had happened. They didn't know what they could do. What they should do. Carrion himself was left with a screaming and crying Abigail, louder than the girl had ever been before. Her hysterics hurt his ears, surely, but he knew he couldn't stop her. He didn't have the right. He was just as terrified of the sight. What child wouldn't be? After all, he was barely keeping his own composure under the stress of the situation. 

Though suddenly, and without a single shred of warning, the woman's corpse began emanating a light. One of which neither child had seen before. It broke Abigail from her hysteria, and forced the two to look closely at the light. It was a light gray. Something almost pure, but not quite. Maybe this represented something from their mother. Something that would give them insight toward the truth. So Carrion, taking charge of the situation, took matters into his hands, and cupped the light in his hands, in order to gain sight of it. To gain more knowledge from this, somehow. And as soon as he touched it with his hands, he saw it. 

He saw every detail of what happened in this room. 

He saw their mother, hitting their father again, and again. But he saw what came before too. All of their father's intentions. Their mother's past innocence. He realized then that what she'd done wasn't disgusting. She had every right to commit such an atrocity. At least, if he put himself into her shoes. Obviously, the sin itself couldn't be forgiven. The sinner though, she could. In his eyes, she could be forgiven for the crime. There was no way she would ever know this, as she lay dead before them. Carrion knew this.

And yet, this light before him stirred something within his soul. Something he'd never felt before. Something he'd never understood until now. As he was taken from his visions, he turned to his twin, Abigail. Showing by the glint in her eyes, and expression etched on her face, she obviously knew something similar. Felt something similar, or even the same. But now, something possessed him to stare into the light. Both of them, for that matter. Abigail seemed to stare over her twin's shoulder at it. 

They stared blankly at the light for minutes upon minutes. Unblinking. Unmoving. Until suddenly, something happened. Something consensual between them both. They each figuratively grabbed a part of the light, and tore it apart, each with their own hands. How they performed this feat? Well, that would never be clear. Still, the deed was done, and new lights circled around them. Normal, untouchable lights. They swirled around the children, faint whispers coming from each one. It took the children quite a while to understand them, yet at some point, they could begin to decode their cryptic messages.

Lust, is the flower  
Gluttony, is the seed  
Pride, is the stone  
Envy, is the spring  
Sloth, is the wind  
Greed, is the dirt  
Wrath, is the forest

Each part of the light out of seven uttered one of these phrases. One for each sin out of seven. The seven deadly sins, ones that they'd been taught about, though only as legends. They didn't realize they were real. Or that they could become real. 

With a realization coming to mind of what they'd done, in the realization of other people. The lights of deadly sin were now physical. Tangible by man, and they were beginning to float away as their panic increased. What were they going to do about this? What could they do? Was there anything at all left? As they disappeared, and spread across, moving ever farther from reach, the twins were struct with the realization that they failed to do anything. There was nothing left. Nothing left to do. 

Well, that wasn't completely true. Carrion knew that well. Under Abigail's sharp and fearful watch, he grabbed the knife out of his father's chest. The one his mother used to bring about his untimely demise. The boy held it close to his chest, when he suddenly heard a pair of footsteps, calm and light moving up the stairs. He didn't know who this could be, and yet he didn't wish to know. All that laid obvious to the boy now was that he needed to defend himself. All the people here, either wittingly or unwittingly, hurt his mother, and caused this tragedy to befall both his parents. He didn't care who would speak here, he would mow them down if they didn't leave him alone.

Surprisingly, ever so surprisingly, the one who creaked open the door was someone familiar to him. Through his mother's eyes, and his own experiences. This was Seth. He pulled the strings. He pulled them, and he wished for this to happen, didn't he. Carrion was angry at the very sight of the man, the knife beginning to shake in his faltering grasp. He was the worst of them all. The scientist who'd mentally tortured her through it all, seemingly on purpose. All to make sure that things failed. 

"What do you want with us?" Carrion asked, not yet holding the knife at Seth. Instead, he attempted to hide it, even though the chance that Seth had already seen the weapon was high. 

"Well, I heard a commotion, so I went up here, and I found this," he replied, though the boy believed that he was lying. He had to be, considering everything else he'd lied to them, and their parents about before this situation. "But now... Now that this horrible tragedy has taken place, we have something we need you to do. Something you were born to do, both of you."

Carrion understood exactly what Seth meant. The project. The Twins of God that they were supposed to be. It had cost their parent's lives. He didn't like the idea of that. He didn't wish to work for someone who killed people he cared for. He didn't want any of this. What he wanted now? Something that he never considered before. Something foreign. Something new. Abigail didn't seem to be changed, as her hand seemed to falter between her brother's, and the scientist's hand. But he was.

He had something new within him. Something giving him a new confidence. Something that gave him a new assortment of feelings. 

Though they were feelings that weren't good for anyone on the receiving end. 

In Seth's case, Carrion wanted to shortly murder him. An act similar to his mother's on Adam. He wanted Seth to feel that similar pain. And to make that pain last as long as it could. He was the source. He was the cause, and he deserved the be punished. Abigail seemed afraid of both parties, and yet the boy would protect his weaker, meeker sister. Because he knew he'd have to, for her sake and his own. They were young, and there may not be much to be done. And yet, he planned to continue anyway. For everyone who had fallen before now. For the Eve, Adam, and anyone else who would have been hurt by Seth, or worse. 

He aimed the knife at Seth's chest, as the scientist attempted to reach for the conflicted Abigail. "Don't you dare come near us, either of us!" he exclaimed, his voice firmer than ever before. While he wasn't tall enough to reach Seth's face, he didn't care. This got his point across as well as he would like. 

Abigail stood in shock, as Seth too, seemed confused. Not quite unhappy with this result, but confused nonetheless. While pointing his weapon, though, Carrion's sense of duty for these things began to fade away from him. 

He loved the feeling of the knife in his hand. The idea of stabbing this man over and over again. He loved, relished in the idea of Seth's suffering. He didn't realize what his feelings were, but he knew he should act on them. That was what he wished for, what he believed was right. 

And then, it all continued in some form of mirage. Some form of dream. Carrion felt time slip away, as this new feeling overtook him completely, and instinct took his entire body as its own.

What he was feeling, for the first time, was pure and unadulterated bloodlust.


	13. The Next Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seth continues with his experiments, but he first addresses the people, who have recently lost their king and queen.

After Seth's encounter with Carrion, while he realized his mistake with infecting the children with HERS, he quickly fled the scene, locking the twins in their deceased parents' bedroom. While the action could be considered inhumane, the scientist didn't care. He'd dealt with the disorder before, the safest way to work with it was under quarantine. Though it couldn't spread unless they had children, getting himself killed wasn't on his agenda. Instead, he continued working on a different project. Considering the seven deadly sins had been released from the original sinner, who he'd never suspected was Eve in the first place, that was cause enough to begin a new project. Something else he could manipulate from the shadows. Yet, he wouldn't rely on others to do work suited for himself. Instead of working that way, he would do things on his own. Well, on his own, with help from things and inventions he vowed to create himself. 

After all, he knew the genetic coding for HERS, and could manipulate other's codes as such, providing they were unborn, or a clone. With this realization at hand, he knew he could work simply with those plans at hand. He would need to plan what happened afterwards, though. Considering his connection to the former royal family, he could figure things out moving along. Especially since now, the crisis wasn't hypothetical. Everything was real, and tangible to the world. There wasn't much anyone could do except follow him. 

So, his next step? Calling the masses to arms. Forcing them to act on his will, the senate's will. Though, the populous had already been acting as such without their own knowledge. The queen was merely a false shepherd to keep everyone in line. With her death, such a position was no longer necessary. Addressing the people in this manner was child's play. 

So, with sending a decree publicly, he gathered many citizens of Levianta toward the castle's balcony. This wasn't the perfect fit in his eyes, though he'd live with the task. After all, minor discomfort bearing rich rewards was worth the effort. Especially with something of such importance. 

Once a massive enough group of citizens was shown gathered around the castle, Seth began to speak, keeping himself solemn, so the crowds could truly believe he mourned the death of his monarchs. Thankfully, considering his practice with other scientists, and the royal family themselves, he was an excellent actor. 

"Citizens of Levianta," he began, his voice loudly booming through the aid of a microphone. "The announcement I've gathered you all to make is a tragic one, undoubtedly so. Though this issue must be addressed with everyone. King Adam and Queen Eve have been murdered. Though that isn't everything. Also, because of their deaths, something catastrophic has occurred. Evil entities known as the seven deadly sins have been released onto the world."

It was almost amusing, watching everyone below fall into a simultaneous panic. After all the hope they held toward the future, after everything seemed to go well, their hopes and prayers were reduced to nothing. Well, at least at the current moments. What he would say next was likely to give them hope once more, though they'd never realize his hidden agenda behind this plan. Hopefully, this would be enough to convince anyone else skeptical enough to have doubts. 

"Alright, everyone, don't panic. Among these tragedies, there will still be hope for this country. The twins are still living, and will continue to serve as vessels for the twin dragon gods. Also, considering our Seven Deadly Sins problem, the senate will be taking complete charge over this matter, running entirely on the funds we now possess. We will attempt to construct our own vessels to trap and do away with the entities, so everyone else may live in peace. Levianta has gone through rough times, now who is to say we cannot survive this as we always have? For this country, we shall persevere!"

With Seth's final shout, everyone who'd shown up had changed from panicked, to excited and congratulatory. There were cheers, of many excited varieties. Seth relished in watching their excitement, realizing that these people were much easier to manipulate than he first imagined.

For now, though, he knew his own plan. And he knew what needed to be done. With that in mind, he had so much work to do.

\---

Time had flown by through years. Nearly a decade had passed since the death of the king and queen. Much had happened ever since his speech, all of which looked toward his favor. The twins had died six years after witnessing their parents' deaths. Considering their mental states, especially Abigail's slow descent into pure madness from the HERS, he was surprised it hadn't happened sooner. Although Levia and Behemo's souls had never transferred to the twins, that wasn't his problem. He wasn't worried for their souls, they could find vessels in their own time, if they so chose so. 

Though, his main accomplishment were the cloning experiments he'd completed with ease. Though, only two of his experiments were of true clones. Once he realized how incriminating having two identical people to yourself was, he began experimenting without clones, but fertilized eggs nonetheless. The woman donors were always willing, and the eggs were extracted through medical procedure, so nothing completely awful transpired. He also accomplished the feat of rapid development, making sure the children could spread the disease easier and faster than originally expected. 

Of course, to stay hidden inside the public eye, Seth only created seven of these beings. In order of creation, their names were Pale, Kiril, Keel, Meta, Phariah, Weiss, and Irina. The first two were basically complete clones, while Keel was where he began to experiment with other DNA. Though, realizing he may not need all these children, he secretly froze three of them, for preservation in case things went wrong. 

No matter what though, through failures and triumphs, the experiments would continue. Yet, this didn't mean everything would look up for him. Especially considering one female mage that was destined to obstruct his path to worldly chaos. 

Soon enough, we will figure out why this specific woman would pose such a threat. For now, that is a story left for another time. 

TO BE CONTINUED...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end of our first Ruler of Nothing part!! Of course, there is so much more to come from here. This next work in the saga may just be my favorite, considering how much I've planned in advance. It's true, I've hyped myself up. But I hope you all enjoyed this work, and enjoy the next. The next part, Sin Hunter: Elluka, will be out on Monday next week, so please stay tuned if you've been following the story. 
> 
> Happy Reading,   
> Mun Platonic


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